Feminist icon's latest turn

Ms. co-founder tries her hand at writing fiction

November 12, 2003|By Connie Lauerman, Tribune staff reporter.

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a stalwart of the women's movement, has had many roles in her 64 years: wife, mother, publishing executive, journalist, co-founder of Ms. magazine and author of nine books. Her first novel, "Three Daughters" (Penguin, $14), is out in paperback.

She seems to be a shining example of a woman who managed to "have it all."

Over tea in a Michigan Avenue cafe recently, WomanNews asked her how she did it.

"I think it comes from having a very high metabolism," Pogrebin said, with a laugh. "And not sleeping as much as some people maybe.

FOR THE RECORD - This story contains corrected material, published Nov. 14, 2003.

"I just seem to have a lot of energy. I have three children and now I have six grandchildren (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). You just try to work it all in. But something always has to give. If I'm really devoting myself to my writing, obviously my friendships suffer a little, and my family retreats a little into the backstage area."

Q. What were the circumstances of your feminist consciousness-raising?

A. In 1970 I published my first book, "How to Make It in a Man's World." In the fall of 1969 my editor [at Doubleday & Co.] said there's this whole new thing going on called women's lib and you had better be prepared to debate the women's libbers [while on an upcoming book tour]. I said, "What's that?" I had no idea. I had heard of some women who marched in Atlantic City against the Miss America Pageant but that was the only thing I had heard of. ... I was clueless, because I had been one of those queen bees that's allowed to be an exception, a token woman. And I had a lot of good luck along the way. I was well-educated. I didn't stop to realize what my advantages were and what the condition of other women was.

I owe my consciousness to [my editor]. I scrounged for position papers and things that were published practically on paper towels in people's garages back then. I read everything. I am a living example of feminist conversion by intellect.

Q. How did you become involved in the founding of Ms. magazine?

A. I met Gloria Steinem in 1971 at weekend conference organizing the National Women's Political Caucus, an organization that's still thriving to this day, to bring women's issues in the mainstream of the political parties. Gloria said, "Why don't you come to a meeting? A few of us are starting a magazine." That was it. I was on board.

Q. Ms. magazine has had some rocky years. What do you think of it now?

A. I think it still does the job. It's a cutting-edge publication. At the moment it is concentrating on international issues because nobody else is. It has been a bellwether for wherever the movement is going next.

Q. Where do you think the movement is now?

A. It's still grappling with what it always has been. Reproductive rights because if you aren't free inside your skin, you're not free. There are a disproportionate number of women in this society living in poverty with their children and an inability of families to have both love and work in the same lifetime.

Q. Do you find it annoying when young women take their relative equality for granted?

A. We wanted to normalize equality. I didn't want people to go around saying "Oh, thank you." We wanted to create a sense of entitlement. But why is it that every generation has to start over? People are taking for granted reproductive rights and little by little it gets eroded.

Q. Were you surprised there wasn't a women's backlash against Arnold Schwarzenegger in the California recall election?

A. I was livid. I couldn't believe people I know in California weren't out [protesting] in the streets over him. But I think in a way people became inured to sexual revelations because of all the Monica Lewinsky months we lived through. But the sensibility of someone who would express pleasure in putting a woman's head into a toilet bowl? That sensibility is something you want in leadership? I don't get it. On the other hand he's a pretty liberal Republican so ..."

Q. I wondered why some of the women didn't complain at the time that the alleged groping happened.

A. I'm not surprised. I worked in corporations in the '60s when stuff like that happened to me. I would never complain. Never. I would lose my job in a second. You had to learn how to laugh it off. How to protect yourself. How to never be alone in an elevator with certain guys.